Sunday, 17 June 2018
Thursday, 9 March 2017
5 Reasons a Jeweler is the Best person to Buy your Jewelry!
Jewelers know more. 
A
jeweler knows what you have and what its worth. Other buyers need to
offer you lower because they are taking more risk. Since they are taking
less risk the can offer you more.
A Jeweler can offer you more because they have
the most outlets to sell it.
A Jeweler Must be Trust Worthy.
A jeweler's lively hood relies on trust. They are least likely to take advantage of you because they have the most to loose. They are easy to find if anything goes wrong.
Jewelers offer options!
They could consign it or send it to auction. It will help you as a seller to have options
Shop Local.
Since chain stores do not buy diamonds, the money will stay in your community, helping jobs and your local economy.
Want to Sell Your Jewelry? Call us at (205) 991-0593 or Or walk in at -
M&M Jewelers
440 Inverness Corners
Birmingham, AL - 35242
Tuesday, 14 February 2017
Saturday, 11 February 2017
How to make your Valentine's Day Memorable!
"Love
is in the Air!” specially when it's Valentine's Day! One of the most
awaited day of year. So, if you are planning to make this day
memorable for your Valentine, we have listed down few ideas on how
you can make your partner feel special.
2. Unique
Gifts - Gift your partner something unique, something that they
always wanted or something that they will cherish forever. You can
either go for Ring, Bracelet, Watch, Sunglasses, Bag or Teddy
accompanied with Greeting Card and box of Chocolates. You can also
include a bottle of his/her favorite drink or bouquet of flowers. Browse
more Gift Ideas
3. Spend
Quality Time – The most Precious gift you can ever give is your
"Time" . Take your partner out on a date or relive your
first date. Go to place that holds beautiful memories of you two or
something similar that sparks up your old memories.
4. Express
with a Rose - Rose indicates the sign of Love, especially Red Roses
are use to express the feelings between two hearts.
Wednesday, 8 February 2017
Saturday, 3 September 2016
September Birthstone: Where Do Sapphires Come From?
Sapphire is a popular gemstone – and comes in a rainbow of colors.
It’s also been long prized, from Ancient Greek rulers to the clergy of
the Middle Ages. But where does the September birthstone come from?
A Little Bit about Sapphire
Before we embark on our journey to find the September birthstone, let’s start with a little gemological background.
The September birthstone, sapphire, comes in a range of colors: blue, violet, green, yellow, orange, pink, purple and intermediate hues. The gem belongs to the mineral species corundum: corundum is colorless, but trace elements or color centers (small defects in the atomic structure of a mineral that can absorb light and impart color to the stone) can turn colorless corundum into colorful sapphire. Red corundum is the only color not called sapphire; corundum with this color is ruby.
Where Sapphires Come From: Kashmir
Blue Kashmir sapphire is legendary among gem collectors and jewelry connoisseurs. However, its reputation for gems of unsurpassed beauty rests on stones mined from 1881 to 1887; very little has been produced since then. Sapphire from the mines after this brief window in time varied greatly in quality.
Finding the September birthstone in Kashmir reads like a chapter from an adventure book: we go to northern India, past the picturesque Dal Lake and its famous houseboats, beyond fields of wildflowers and head up into the Himalayas. Our journey takes us on treacherous roads to, as 18th-century explorers described, a “region beyond the snows.” In these remote hillsides, some of the world’s most beautiful sapphires were unearthed.
Fine blue Kashmir sapphire is said to resemble the color of the
feathers of a peacock’s neck. Tiny inclusions give gems a velvety
appearance. This can look like an extremely fine haze.
A few last facts about Kashmir sapphire: perpetual snow cover makes mining extraordinarily difficult; the mines are exceedingly remote; the weather is severe; and the area is politically contested. Few stones sporadically emerge, and fewer gemologists have researched the mines. That means you’re highly unlikely to find Kashmir sapphire for sale, and if you do, you’ll want a GIA Colored Stone Identification & Origin Report to verify its country of origin. Fine pieces are occasionally sold by leading auction houses.
Where Sapphires Come From: Myanmar
The sapphire mines of Mogok share some similarities with the ones
from Kashmir: they are remote, hard to reach and are in a
politically-charged land. Sapphires from this locale are also rare; they
are found near many of the ruby deposits. Mogok is also famed for
producing some of the finest pink sapphires in the world.
Where Sapphires Come From: Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka can poetically be called “Treasure Island.” All colors of sapphire, ruby, cat’s-eye chrysoberyl, spinel, garnet, tourmaline, topaz, quartz and many other gems can be found in the Highland Complex, a wide band that runs roughly down the middle of the island. Some of the finest sapphire is also found here, and in riverbeds scattered across the country.
Sri Lanka is perhaps the most famous source for padparadscha
sapphires; they are found in river gravel throughout the country.
Padparadscha means “lotus flower,” in Sinhalese and this name has been
given to the pinkish orange to orange-pink variety of corundum. This
sapphire’s color has been likened to the color of salmon, sunset and
ripe guava. The cause of color for padparadscha sapphire is due to
either trace amounts of iron and chromium or color centers. Fine
specimens can sell for as much as a ruby.
Sri Lanka is also a source of the September birthstone in many of its colors: green, yellow, pink, purple, and virtually any color in between. Many in the trade consider Sri Lanka to produce the best range of fancy color sapphires in the world.
Where Sapphires Come From: Thailand
Thailand is an important source of sapphire. Gem fields in Chantaburi, in southeastern Thailand, were mined from the late 1800s to the early 1900s. Sapphire now mostly comes from Kanchanaburi (western Thailand), where it is found in rivers and streams. Most sapphire mined in Thailand is heat-treated to improve its color.
Thailand is one of the world’s major cutting and treatment centers:
sapphire from Myanmar, Cambodia, Australia, Madagascar and Sri Lanka are
sent here, and end up in jewelry stores in the United States, Japan and
Europe.
Where Sapphires Come From: Cambodia
On the western side of Cambodia—in the Pailin Province, near the border with Thailand—sapphire rough lies in riverbeds. Miners sift through the gravel, looking for “Pailin sapphire,” which is understood to be fine-quality blue sapphire that is typically water-worn, rounded and hexagonal in shape. Stones are regularly heat-treated to lighten color and remove or reduce inclusions.
Mining for sapphire in Pailin is extremely demanding. Deadly malaria
and a hot climate are working conditions that require muscle and grit.
The Khmer Rouge, an oppressive regime that ruled Cambodia from the 1970s
to the 1990s, left a legacy of poverty and landmines that still take
lives and limbs. Still, in the midst of these most difficult
circumstances, miners search for a piece of rough that can change their
fortunes.
Where Sapphires Come From: Madagascar
Madagascar, an island off the southeastern coast of Africa, is a rich source of gems: garnet, aquamarine, tsavorite, rubies,
and of course, the September birthstone. Rough sapphire was found in
1993 in the Andranondambo region of southern Madagascar; and in 1998 in
IIakaka – a remote, arid land of plains broken by lonely mountains. A
new source was found in January 2016 near Andranondambo in an extremely
remote and dangerous location. The mine is accessible only by foot, and
the area is rife with bandits.
Many people rank the color of Madagascar’s blue sapphires between
Kashmir and Sri Lanka in quality. Rough is often heat-treated to improve
color. Slight inclusions are common, as well as color zoning (bands of
color).
Madagascar is another source for fancy color sapphire: it produces pinks, blue-violets, yellows, oranges and greens.
Where Sapphires Come From: Other Sources
The September birthstone can also be found in other areas of the world. Australia produces blue, yellow and green sapphires. It is primarily a source of commercial-grade sapphire, and occasionally produces high-quality rough suitable for use in fine jewelry. Commercial-grade sapphire is also found in Montana. Tanzania, Malawi and Kenya – countries in East Africa – are other sources of pink, blue-violet, yellow, orange and green sapphires.
It’s hard not to fall in love with the September birthstone. Sapphire is beautiful, symbolizes noble qualities and is the gemstone for the fifth wedding anniversary
A Little Bit about Sapphire
 |
| A spellbinding sight: the many colors of sapphire. Photo: Robert Weldon/GIA, Dr. Eduard J. Gübelin Collection |
Before we embark on our journey to find the September birthstone, let’s start with a little gemological background.
The September birthstone, sapphire, comes in a range of colors: blue, violet, green, yellow, orange, pink, purple and intermediate hues. The gem belongs to the mineral species corundum: corundum is colorless, but trace elements or color centers (small defects in the atomic structure of a mineral that can absorb light and impart color to the stone) can turn colorless corundum into colorful sapphire. Red corundum is the only color not called sapphire; corundum with this color is ruby.
Where Sapphires Come From: Kashmir
 |
| A spellbinding 3.08 carat (ct) unheated Kashmir sapphire shows why they are so coveted. Photo: Robert Weldon/GIA. Courtesy of Edward Boehm, RareSource |
Blue Kashmir sapphire is legendary among gem collectors and jewelry connoisseurs. However, its reputation for gems of unsurpassed beauty rests on stones mined from 1881 to 1887; very little has been produced since then. Sapphire from the mines after this brief window in time varied greatly in quality.
Finding the September birthstone in Kashmir reads like a chapter from an adventure book: we go to northern India, past the picturesque Dal Lake and its famous houseboats, beyond fields of wildflowers and head up into the Himalayas. Our journey takes us on treacherous roads to, as 18th-century explorers described, a “region beyond the snows.” In these remote hillsides, some of the world’s most beautiful sapphires were unearthed.
 |
| Want to see scenic Lake Dal? Head for Srinagar, the “Jewel in the Crown of Kashmir,” a popular tourist destination. Photo: Robert C. Kammerling/GIA. |
A few last facts about Kashmir sapphire: perpetual snow cover makes mining extraordinarily difficult; the mines are exceedingly remote; the weather is severe; and the area is politically contested. Few stones sporadically emerge, and fewer gemologists have researched the mines. That means you’re highly unlikely to find Kashmir sapphire for sale, and if you do, you’ll want a GIA Colored Stone Identification & Origin Report to verify its country of origin. Fine pieces are occasionally sold by leading auction houses.
 |
| The blue of this Kashmir sapphire evokes the sky…the ocean…the infinite. Photo: Robert Weldon/GIA |
 |
| A rough sapphire crystal from Myanmar is waiting to be fashioned into an exquisite gem. Photo: Robert Weldon/GIA. Courtesy: Bill Larson, Palagems.com |
The land north of Mogok, a city in Upper Myanmar, is famed for producing rubies and sapphires.
Blue sapphires mined in Mogok tend to have a rich, intense hue; the
best of these September birthstones maintain their appearance under all
lighting conditions: incandescent, daylight and fluorescent.
 |
| Miners toil in a stream in search of sapphire outside of Mogok. Photo: Robert E. Kane/GIA |
 |
| Falling in love with sapphire from Myanmar is easy when admiring this oval shape 6.39 ct pink sapphire from Mogok. Photo: Robert Weldon/GIA. Dr. Eduard J. Gübelin Collection |
Sri Lanka can poetically be called “Treasure Island.” All colors of sapphire, ruby, cat’s-eye chrysoberyl, spinel, garnet, tourmaline, topaz, quartz and many other gems can be found in the Highland Complex, a wide band that runs roughly down the middle of the island. Some of the finest sapphire is also found here, and in riverbeds scattered across the country.
 |
Unlike
Kashmir and Myanmar, Sri Lanka is a prolific source of sapphire. Miners
search river gravel, which often contains rough. Much of the rough is
shipped to Thailand, where it is cut, heat-treated and marketed. Photo:
Vincent Pardieu/GIA
|
 |
A
piece of tranquility: this 33.16 ct blue sapphire from Sri Lanka is
sure to soothe the spirit. Photo: Robert Weldon/GIA. Courtesy of B &
B Fine Gems
|
 |
A 6.66 ct padparadscha sapphire from Sri Lanka. Photo: Robert Weldon/GIA, Dr. Eduard J. Gübelin Collection
|
Sri Lanka is also a source of the September birthstone in many of its colors: green, yellow, pink, purple, and virtually any color in between. Many in the trade consider Sri Lanka to produce the best range of fancy color sapphires in the world.
Where Sapphires Come From: Thailand
Thailand is an important source of sapphire. Gem fields in Chantaburi, in southeastern Thailand, were mined from the late 1800s to the early 1900s. Sapphire now mostly comes from Kanchanaburi (western Thailand), where it is found in rivers and streams. Most sapphire mined in Thailand is heat-treated to improve its color.
 |
In
the foreground lie sapphire mines in Kanchanaburi. In the distance,
mountains rise under a leaden sky. Photo: Robert C. Kammerling/GIA
|
 |
Blue sapphire from Thailand stars in this Art Deco bracelet (circa 1925). Courtesy: 1stdibs.com
|
On the western side of Cambodia—in the Pailin Province, near the border with Thailand—sapphire rough lies in riverbeds. Miners sift through the gravel, looking for “Pailin sapphire,” which is understood to be fine-quality blue sapphire that is typically water-worn, rounded and hexagonal in shape. Stones are regularly heat-treated to lighten color and remove or reduce inclusions.
 |
Miners search the waters for sapphire rough in Pailin, Cambodia. Photo: Vincent Pardieu/GIA
|
 |
| Two blue sapphires weighing 11.48 carats are encircled by old mine cut diamonds (circa 1915). Courtesy: 1stdibs.com |
 |
Three blue sapphires from Madagascar. Photo: Robert Weldon/GIA. Courtesy: Allerton Cushman
|
 |
Sapphire
mining in Madagascar is not for the faint of heart: it’s physically
demanding work done under a scorching tropical sun. Courtesy: Jazmin
Amira Crespo Weissgarber
|
 |
| Two heat-treated Madagascar sapphires exude elegance. Photo: John Koivula/GIA |
 |
| On display: some of the different colors of sapphire found in Madagascar. Photo: Robert Weldon/GIA. Courtesy: Allerton Cushman |
The September birthstone can also be found in other areas of the world. Australia produces blue, yellow and green sapphires. It is primarily a source of commercial-grade sapphire, and occasionally produces high-quality rough suitable for use in fine jewelry. Commercial-grade sapphire is also found in Montana. Tanzania, Malawi and Kenya – countries in East Africa – are other sources of pink, blue-violet, yellow, orange and green sapphires.
 |
The
deep yellow color of the Sri Lankan sapphire on the left is the result
of heat-treatment. The lighter yellow sapphire on the right is
untreated. It was mined in the Inverell area of Australia. Photo: Robert
Weldon/GIA
|
 |
Paula
Crevoshay’s 18K yellow and rose gold flower pin highlights sapphire’s
many colors. It features 79 pink sapphires totaling 6.03 carats,116
yellow sapphires totaling 7.46 carats, and 202 additional fancy color
sapphires totaling 16.26 carats. Photo: Robert Weldon/GIA. Courtesy:
Paula Crevoshay
|
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